1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a hoof dressing applicator that is attached to each one of the coronary bands of a horse's hooves to apply hoof dressing to such coronary band and to massage such hoof dressing medication into such coronary band to maintain the proper percentage of moisture into the horse's hooves and maintain sound hoof structure and growth, and to prevent thereby cracking of the horse's hooves.
2. Background
A horse's sensitive coronary band is located around the upper per border of the hoof under its junction with the skin. The coronary band is the primary growth and nutritional source for the balk of the hoof wall. The horn producing papillae of the coronary band produce the hoof wall. The function of the hoof wall is to bear weight. The hoof wall grows downwardly at the rate of about 1/4" to 3/8" per month. The average horse's hoof is 3 to 4 inches. Therefore, it can be said that the horse grows new hooves every year. The hollow centers of the horn tubules are filled with random, loosely packed cells forming a pitch-like substance called the intratubular horn. The intratubular horn is largely responsible for moisture conduction. For the hoof wall to be healthy, and to promote and maintain sound hoof structure and growth, and to prevent cracking of the horse's hoof, the moisture content of the hoof wall must be maintained at about 25%.
The practice in the prior art to maintain such proper moisture level is to apply hoof dressing medication to the coronary band of each hoof several times a day. The horse's owner or handler accomplishes this by applying the hoof dressing medication to the coronary band with a toothbrush and by massaging the medication into the coronary band. This prior-art practice is not only burdensome and time-consuming, but also is frequently left undone or done incompletely. Another problem is that the horse's owner or handler, in performing such prior-art practice, risks being kicked by the horse.
The problems in the art are the needs for a hoof dressing applicator which can be attached to the coronary band of a horse's hoof to release and therefore apply moisture to the coronary band with consequent self-massaging of the medication into the coronary band being continually effected by the horse's own natural movements of its legs whether the horse is in its stall or ranging in the field. In other words, the need is for a hoof dressing applicator that can be attached to the coronary band with the horse itself taking over and in effect therapeutically medicating and massaging its own coronary bands, continually.